Elegant Netted Bead Collar

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Beaded with size 11/0 Beads

This complex looking, elegant netted bead collar uses size 11/0 seed beads and is actually quite easy to make. It's really just a matter of counting, and once you get going, you don't have to count any higher than 22! (g) Can't you just see it adorning the neck of your favorite little (or big!) girl's velvet Christmas dress?

To begin, pick up 60 size 11 beads in a color of your choice. I used AB transparent teal in the necklace pictured. Counting from the end, go back up through the 29th and 30th beads. They are marked on the diagram in pink.

Now pick up ten, skip ten, and go through the 11th and 12th.

Then pick up 8 and skip 8. Go through the 9th and 10th.

Pick up 6, skip 6, and go through the last two.

Now we are going to change directions. Pick up 6. Skip four beads from where your thread is coming out and go through the 5th and 6th.

Pick up 6, skip 6 and go through the next two.

Skip 10, pick up 10, go through the next two.

Same as the last step. Skip 10, pick up 10, go through the next two.

Pick up 22 and go up through the 5th and 6th of the beads you added in the previous step.

Beginning with the step just completed, the sequence of stitches repeats. Going left, the sequence is 22 (just completed), 10, 8, 6. Going right, it's 6, 6, 10, 10. Simply continue going back and forth adding rows until it's big enough.

This pattern can be used to make a necklace or a collar. For a necklace, simply add a clasp. For a collar, you could either sew the work directly to a garment, or add a series of hooks and eyes to both the collar and the garment. That way you could wash the garment separately from the beadwork.

A neat variation would be to fade from one color to another from top to bottom. I would go from light to dark, but it's up to you! I'm sure you can come up with some other great variations. I'd love to hear about them if you do. Have fun!

Elegant Netted Bead Collar

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